PUBLISHED : 31 Oct 2025 at 15:59
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The manufacturer of Hong Thai herbal inhalants has partnered with the Thailand Institute of Nuclear Technology (TINT) to adopt radiation sterilisation technology after the Food and Drug Administration detected microbial contamination in herbal inhalant formula 2, lot 332.
Theerapong Rabuetham, owner of Thai Herbal Hong Thai Company, apologised to customers and partners, saying the company accepts full responsibility and aims to resolve the issue quickly.
“This crisis is an opportunity to upgrade our standards to ensure complete consumer safety,” he said, adding that factory and office system upgrades will be completed within seven days under TINT supervision.
Radiation sterilisation
Kamol Unchoo, manager of TINT’s Irradiation Centre, said the institute uses electron beam (E-beam) and cobalt-60 radiation to sterilise products without chemicals or toxic residue.
“The cold-sterilisation process takes one to two days and destroys bacteria and spores under strict international standards,” he said, stressing that irradiated products do not retain radiation and do not become radioactive, as confirmed by the WHO, FDA and IAEA.
The process also preserves the volatile compounds that provide fragrance and medicinal properties in herbal products.
Mr Kamol said the incident can set new benchmarks for Thai herbal products and strengthen public-private cooperation in the sector.